It is clear and evident that when the veils that conceal the realities of the
manifestations of the Names and Attributes of God, nay of all created things
visible or invisible, have been rent asunder, nothing except the Sign of God
will remain - a sign which He, Himself, hath placed within these realities. This
sign will endure as long as is the wish of the Lord thy God, the Lord of the
heavens and of the earth. If such be the blessings conferred on all created
things, how superior must be the destiny of the true believer, whose existence
and life are to be regarded as the originating purpose of all creation. Just as
the conception of faith hath existed from the beginning that hath no beginning,
and will endure till the end that hath no end, in like manner will the true
believer eternally live and endure. His spirit will everlastingly circle round
the Will of God. He will last as long as God, Himself, will last. He is revealed
through the Revelation of God, and is hidden at His bidding. It is evident that
the loftiest mansions in the Realm of Immortality have been ordained as the
habitation of them that have truly believed in God and in His signs. Death can
never invade that holy seat. Thus have We entrusted thee with the signs of Thy
Lord, that thou mayest persevere in thy love for Him, and be of them that
comprehend this truth. [1]
Thou hast asked Me whether man, as apart from the Prophets of God and His
chosen ones, will retain, after his physical death, the self-same individuality,
personality, consciousness, and understanding that characterize his life in this
world. If this should be the case, how is it, thou hast observed, that whereas
such slight injuries to his mental faculties as fainting and severe illness
deprive him of his understanding and consciousness, his death, which must
involve the decomposition of his body and the dissolution of its elements, is
powerless to destroy that understanding and extinguish that consciousness? How
can any one imagine that man's consciousness and personality will be maintained,
when the very instruments necessary to their existence and function will have
completely disintegrated?
Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is independent of all
infirmities of body or mind. That a sick person showeth signs of weakness is due
to the hindrances that interpose themselves between his soul and his body, for
the soul itself remaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments. Consider the light
of the lamp. Though an external object may interfere with its radiance, the
light itself continueth to shine with undiminished power. In like manner, every
malady afflicting the body of man is an impediment that preventeth the soul from
manifesting its inherent might and power. When it leaveth the body, however, it
will evince such ascendancy, and reveal such influence as no force on earth can
equal. Every pure, every refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with
tremendous power, and shall rejoice with exceeding gladness.
Consider the lamp which is hidden under a bushel. Though its light be
shining, yet its radiance is concealed from men. Likewise, consider the sun
which hath been obscured by the clouds. Observe how its splendor appeareth to
have diminished, when in reality the source of that light hath remained
unchanged. The soul of man should be likened unto this sun, and all things on
earth should be regarded as his body. So long as no external impediment
interveneth between them, the body will, in its entirety, continue to reflect
the light of the soul, and to be sustained by its power. As soon as, however, a
veil interposeth itself between them, the brightness of that light seemeth to
lessen.
Consider again the sun when it is completely hidden behind the clouds. Though
the earth is still illumined with its light, yet the measure of light which it
receiveth is considerably reduced. Not until the clouds have dispersed, can the
sun shine again in the plenitude of its glory. Neither the presence of the cloud
nor its absence can, in any way, affect the inherent splendor of the sun. The
soul of man is the sun by which his body is illumined, and from which it draweth
its sustenance, and should be so regarded.
Consider, moreover, how the fruit, ere it is formed, lieth potentially within
the tree. Were the tree to be cut into pieces, no sign nor any part of the
fruit, however small, could be detected. When it appeareth, however, it
manifesteth itself, as thou hast observed, in its wondrous beauty and glorious
perfection. Certain fruits, indeed, attain their fullest development only after
being severed from the tree. [2]
And now concerning thy question regarding the soul of man and its survival
after death. Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the
body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a
state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the
changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the
Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will
manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving
kindness and bounty. The movement of My Pen is stilled when it attempteth to
befittingly describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a station. The honor
with which the Hand of Mercy will invest the soul is such as no tongue can
adequately reveal, nor any other earthly agency describe. Blessed is the soul
which, at the hour of its separation from the body, is sanctified from the vain
imaginings of the peoples of the world. Such a soul liveth and moveth in
accordance with the Will of its Creator, and entereth the all-highest Paradise.
The Maids of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest mansions, will circle around it,
and the Prophets of God and His chosen ones will seek its companionship. With
them that soul will freely converse, and will recount unto them that which it
hath been made to endure in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. If any man
be told that which hath been ordained for such a soul in the worlds of God, the
Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, his whole being will instantly
blaze out in his great longing to attain that most exalted, that sanctified and
resplendent station....The nature of the soul after death can never be
described, nor is it meet and permissible to reveal its whole character to the
eyes of men. The Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down for the sole
purpose of guiding mankind to the straight Path of Truth. The purpose underlying
their revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the hour of
death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment,
to the throne of the Most High. The light which these souls radiate is
responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples.
They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being, and constitute the
animating force through which the arts and wonders of the world are made
manifest. Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men, and the earth
bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a cause, a motive power,
an animating principle. These souls and symbols of detachment have provided, and
will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the world of being. The
world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from
that of the child while still in the womb of its mother. When the soul attaineth
the Presence of God, it will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality
and is worthy of its celestial habitation. Such an existence is a contingent and
not an absolute existence, inasmuch as the former is preceded by a cause, whilst
the latter is independent thereof. Absolute existence is strictly confined to
God, exalted be His glory. Well is it with them that apprehend this truth. Wert
thou to ponder in thine heart the behavior of the Prophets of God thou wouldst
assuredly and readily testify that there must needs be other worlds besides this
world. The majority of the truly wise and learned have, throughout the ages, as
it hath been recorded by the Pen of Glory in the Tablet of Wisdom, borne witness
to the truth of that which the holy Writ of God hath revealed. Even the
materialists have testified in their writings to the wisdom of these
divinely-appointed Messengers, and have regarded the references made by the
Prophets to Paradise, to hell fire, to future reward and punishment, to have
been actuated by a desire to educate and uplift the souls of men. Consider,
therefore, how the generality of mankind, whatever their beliefs or theories,
have recognized the excellence, and admitted the superiority, of these Prophets
of God. These Gems of Detachment are acclaimed by some as the embodiments of
wisdom, while others believe them to be the mouthpiece of God Himself. How could
such Souls have consented to surrender themselves unto their enemies if they
believed all the worlds of God to have been reduced to this earthly life? Would
they have willingly suffered such afflictions and torments as no man hath ever
experienced or witnessed? [3]
Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the
soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath
failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to
unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of
its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to
bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His
light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its
allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and
will, in the end, sink in their depths.
Whoso hath, in this Day, refused to allow the doubts and fancies of men to
turn him away from Him Who is the Eternal Truth, and hath not suffered the
tumult provoked by the ecclesiastical and secular authorities to deter him from
recognizing His Message, such a man will be regarded by God, the Lord of all
men, as one of His mighty signs, and will be numbered among them whose names
have been inscribed by the Pen of the Most High in His Book. Blessed is he that
hath recognized the true stature of such a soul, that hath acknowledged its
station, and discovered its virtues.
Much hath been written in the books of old concerning the various stages in
the development of the soul, such as concupiscence, irascibility, inspiration,
benevolence, contentment, Divine good-pleasure, and the like; the Pen of the
Most High, however, is disinclined to dwell upon them. Every soul that walketh
humbly with its God, in this Day, and cleaveth unto Him, shall find itself
invested with the honor and glory of all goodly names and stations.
When man is asleep, his soul can, in no wise, be said to have been inherently
affected by any external object. It is not susceptible of any change in its
original state or character. Any variation in its functions is to be ascribed to
external causes. It is to these external influences that any variations in its
environment, its understanding, and perception should be attributed.
Consider the human eye. Though it hath the faculty of perceiving all created
things, yet the slightest impediment may so obstruct its vision as to deprive it
of the power of discerning any object whatsoever. Magnified be the name of Him
Who hath created, and is the Cause of, these causes, Who hath ordained that
every change and variation in the world of being be made dependent upon them.
Every created thing in the whole universe is but a door leading into His
knowledge, a sign of His sovereignty, a revelation of His names, a symbol of His
majesty, a token of His power, a means of admittance into His straight Path....
Verily I say, the human soul is, in its essence, one of the signs of God, a
mystery among His mysteries. It is one of the mighty signs of the Almighty, the
harbinger that proclaimeth the reality of all the worlds of God. Within it lieth
concealed that which the world is now utterly incapable of apprehending. Ponder
in thine heart the revelation of the Soul of God that pervadeth all His Laws,
and contrast it with that base and appetitive nature that hath rebelled against
Him, that forbiddeth men to turn unto the Lord of Names, and impelleth them to
walk after their lusts and wickedness. Such a soul hath, in truth, wandered far
in the path of error....
Thou hast, moreover, asked Me concerning the state of the soul after its
separation from the body. Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath
walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly, return and be gathered to the
glory of the Beloved. By the righteousness of God! It shall attain a station
such as no pen can depict, or tongue describe. The soul that hath remained
faithful to the Cause of God, and stood unwaveringly firm in His Path shall,
after his ascension, be possessed of such power that all the worlds which the
Almighty hath created can benefit through him. Such a soul provideth, at the
bidding of the Ideal King and Divine Educator, the pure leaven that leaveneth
the world of being, and furnisheth the power through which the arts and wonders
of the world are made manifest. Consider how meal needeth leaven to be leavened
with. Those souls that are the symbols of detachment are the leaven of the
world. Meditate on this, and be of the thankful.
In several of Our Tablets We have referred to this theme, and have set forth
the various stages in the development of the soul. Verily I say, the human soul
is exalted above all egress and regress. It is still, and yet it soareth; it
moveth, and yet it is still. It is, in itself, a testimony that beareth witness
to the existence of a world that is contingent, as well as to the reality of a
world that hath neither beginning nor end. Behold how the dream thou hast
dreamed is, after the lapse of many years, re-enacted before thine eyes.
Consider how strange is the mystery of the world that appeareth to thee in thy
dream. Ponder in thine heart upon the unsearchable wisdom of God, and meditate
on its manifold revelations....
Witness the wondrous evidences of God's handiwork, and reflect upon its range
and character. He Who is the Seal of the Prophets hath said: "Increase my wonder
and amazement at Thee, O God!"
As to thy question whether the physical world is subject to any limitations,
know thou that the comprehension of this matter dependeth upon the observer
himself. In one sense, it is limited; in another, it is exalted beyond all
limitations. The one true God hath everlastingly existed, and will everlastingly
continue to exist. His creation, likewise, hath had no beginning, and will have
no end. All that is created, however, is preceded by a cause. This fact, in
itself, establisheth, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the unity of the Creator.
Thou hast, moreover, asked Me concerning the nature of the celestial spheres.
To comprehend their nature, it would be necessary to inquire into the meaning of
the allusions that have been made in the Books of old to the celestial spheres
and the heavens, and to discover the character of their relationship to this
physical world, and the influence which they exert upon it. Every heart is
filled with wonder at so bewildering a theme, and every mind is perplexed by its
mystery. God, alone, can fathom its import. The learned men, that have fixed at
several thousand years the life of this earth, have failed, throughout the long
period of their observation, to consider either the number or the age of the
other planets. Consider, moreover, the manifold divergencies that have resulted
from the theories propounded by these men. Know thou that every fixed star hath
its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can
compute.
O thou that hast fixed thine eyes upon My countenance! The Day Spring of
Glory hath, in this Day, manifested its radiance, and the Voice of the Most High
is calling. We have formerly uttered these words: "This is not the day for any
man to question his Lord. It behoveth whosoever hath hearkened to the Call of
God, as voiced by Him Who is the Day Spring of Glory, to arise and cry out:
'Here am I, here am I, O Lord of all Names; here am I, here am I, O Maker of the
heavens! I testify that, through Thy Revelation, the things hidden in the Books
of God have been revealed, and that whatsoever hath been recorded by Thy
Messengers in the sacred Scriptures hath been fulfilled.'" [4]
Consider the rational faculty with which God hath endowed the essence of
man. Examine thine own self, and behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will
and purpose, thy sight and hearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and
whatever else is related to, or transcendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual
perceptions, all proceed from, and owe their existence to, this same faculty. So
closely are they related unto it, that if in less than the twinkling of an eye
its relationship to the human body be severed, each and every one of these
senses will cease immediately to exercise its function, and will be deprived of
the power to manifest the evidences of its activity. It is indubitably clear and
evident that each of these afore-mentioned instruments has depended, and will
ever continue to depend, for its proper functioning on this rational faculty,
which should be regarded as a sign of the revelation of Him Who is the sovereign
Lord of all. Through its manifestation all these names and attributes have been
revealed, and by the suspension of its action they are all destroyed and perish.
It would be wholly untrue to maintain that this faculty is the same as the
power of vision, inasmuch as the power of vision is derived from it and acteth
in dependence upon it. It would, likewise, be idle to contend that this faculty
can be identified with the sense of hearing, as the sense of hearing receiveth
from the rational faculty the requisite energy for performing its functions.
This same relationship bindeth this faculty with whatsoever hath been the
recipient of these names and attributes within the human temple. These diverse
names and revealed attributes have been generated through the agency of this
sign of God. Immeasurably exalted is this sign, in its essence and reality,
above all such names and attributes. Nay, all else besides it will, when
compared with its glory, fade into utter nothingness and become a thing
forgotten.
Wert thou to ponder in thine heart, from now until the end that hath no end,
and with all the concentrated intelligence and understanding which the greatest
minds have attained in the past or will attain in the future, this divinely
ordained and subtle Reality, this sign of the revelation of the All-Abiding,
All-Glorious God, thou wilt fail to comprehend its mystery or to appraise its
virtue. Having recognized thy powerlessness to attain to an adequate
understanding of that Reality which abideth within thee, thou wilt readily admit
the futility of such efforts as may be attempted by thee, or by any of the
created things, to fathom the mystery of the Living God, the Day Star of
unfading glory, the Ancient of everlasting days. This confession of helplessness
which mature contemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself
the acme of human understanding, and marketh the culmination of man's
development. [5]
Regard thou the one true God as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably
exalted above, all created things. The whole universe reflecteth His glory,
while He is Himself independent of, and transcendeth His creatures. This is the
true meaning of Divine unity. He Who is the Eternal Truth is the one Power Who
exerciseth undisputed sovereignty over the world of being, Whose image is
reflected in the mirror of the entire creation. All existence is dependent upon
Him, and from Him is derived the source of the sustenance of all things. This is
what is meant by Divine unity; this is its fundamental principle.
Some, deluded by their idle fancies, have conceived all created things as
associates and partners of God, and imagined themselves to be the exponents of
His unity. By Him Who is the one true God! Such men have been, and will continue
to remain, the victims of blind imitation, and are to be numbered with them that
have restricted and limited the conception of God.
He is a true believer in Divine unity who, far from confusing duality with
oneness, refuseth to allow any notion of multiplicity to becloud his conception
of the singleness of God, who will regard the Divine Being as One Who, by His
very nature, transcendeth the limitations of numbers.
The essence of belief in Divine unity consisteth in regarding Him Who is the
Manifestation of God and Him Who is the invisible, the inaccessible, the
unknowable Essence as one and the same. By this is meant that whatever
pertaineth to the former, all His acts and doings, whatever He ordaineth or
forbiddeth, should be considered, in all their aspects, and under all
circumstances, and without any reservation, as identical with the Will of God
Himself. This is the loftiest station to which a true believer in the unity of
God can ever hope to attain. Blessed is the man that reacheth this station, and
is of them that are steadfast in their belief. [6]
O My servants! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the
gracious favors which, in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime, are being
showered upon you. The Day Star of His great glory hath shed its radiance upon
you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed you. How high the
reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great a bounty, nor failed to
recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this, His new attire.
Say: O people! The Lamp of God is burning; take heed, lest the fierce winds
of your disobedience extinguish its light. Now is the time to arise and magnify
the Lord, your God. Strive not after bodily comforts, and keep your heart pure
and stainless. The Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. Gird
yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led by the light of the name of the
one true God, deliver yourselves from the darkness that surroundeth you. Center
your thoughts in the Well-Beloved, rather than in your own selves.
Say: O ye that have strayed and lost your way! The Divine Messenger, Who
speaketh naught but the truth, hath announced unto you the coming of the
Best-Beloved. Behold, He is now come. Wherefore are ye downcast and dejected?
Why remain despondent when the Pure and Hidden One hath appeared unveiled
amongst you? He Who is both the Beginning and the End, He Who is both Stillness
and Motion, is now manifest before your eyes. Behold how, in this Day, the
Beginning is reflected in the End, how out of Stillness Motion hath been
engendered. This motion hath been generated by the potent energies which the
words of the Almighty have released throughout the entire creation. Whoso hath
been quickened by its vitalizing power, will find himself impelled to attain the
court of the Beloved; and whoso hath deprived himself therefrom, will sink into
irretrievable despondency. He is truly wise whom the world and all that is
therein have not deterred from recognizing the light of this Day, who will not
allow men's idle talk to cause him to swerve from the way of righteousness. He
is indeed as one dead who, at the wondrous dawn of this Revelation, hath failed
to be quickened by its soul-stirring breeze. He is indeed a captive who hath not
recognized the Supreme Redeemer, but hath suffered his soul to be bound,
distressed and helpless, in the fetters of his desires.
O My servants! Whoso hath tasted of this Fountain hath attained unto
everlasting Life, and whoso hath refused to drink therefrom is even as the dead.
Say: O ye workers of iniquity! Covetousness hath hindered you from giving a
hearing ear unto the sweet voice of Him Who is the All-Sufficing. Wash it away
from your hearts, that His Divine secret may be made known unto you. Behold Him
manifest and resplendent as the sun in all its glory.
Say: O ye that are bereft of understanding! A severe trial pursueth you, and
will suddenly overtake you. Bestir yourselves, that haply it may pass and
inflict no harm upon you. Acknowledge the exalted character of the name of the
Lord, your God, Who hath come unto you in the greatness of His glory. He,
verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Possessing, the Supreme Protector. [7]
And now concerning thy question whether human souls continue to be conscious
one of another after their separation from the body. Know thou that the souls of
the people of Bahá, who have entered and been established within the Crimson
Ark, shall associate and commune intimately one with another, and shall be so
closely associated in their lives, their aspirations, their aims and strivings
as to be even as one soul. They are indeed the ones who are well-informed, who
are keen-sighted, and who are endued with understanding. Thus hath it been
decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
The people of Bahá, who are the inmates of the Ark of God, are, one and all,
well aware of one another's state and condition, and are united in the bonds of
intimacy and fellowship. Such a state, however, must depend upon their faith and
their conduct. They that are of the same grade and station are fully aware of
one another's capacity, character, accomplishments and merits. They that are of
a lower grade, however, are incapable of comprehending adequately the station,
or of estimating the merits, of those that rank above them. Each shall receive
his share from thy Lord. Blessed is the man that hath turned his face towards
God, and walked steadfastly in His love, until his soul hath winged its flight
unto God, the Sovereign Lord of all, the Most Powerful, the Ever-Forgiving, the
All-Merciful.
The souls of the infidels, however, shall - and to this I bear witness - when
breathing their last be made aware of the good things that have escaped them,
and shall bemoan their plight, and shall humble themselves before God. They
shall continue doing so after the separation of their souls from their bodies.
It is clear and evident that all men shall, after their physical death,
estimate the worth of their deeds, and realize all that their hands have
wrought. I swear by the Day Star that shineth above the horizon of Divine power!
They that are the followers of the one true God shall, the moment they depart
out of this life, experience such joy and gladness as would be impossible to
describe, while they that live in error shall be seized with such fear and
trembling, and shall be filled with such consternation, as nothing can exceed.
Well is it with him that hath quaffed the choice and incorruptible wine of faith
through the gracious favor and the manifold bounties of Him Who is the Lord of
all Faiths....
This is the Day when the loved ones of God should keep their eyes directed
towards His Manifestation, and fasten them upon whatsoever that Manifestation
may be pleased to reveal. Certain traditions of bygone ages rest on no
foundations whatever, while the notions entertained by past generations, and
which they have recorded in their books, have, for the most part, been
influenced by the desires of a corrupt inclination. Thou dost witness how most
of the commentaries and interpretations of the words of God, now current amongst
men, are devoid of truth. Their falsity hath, in some cases, been exposed when
the intervening veils were rent asunder. They themselves have acknowledged their
failure in apprehending the meaning of any of the words of God.
Our purpose is to show that should the loved ones of God sanctify their
hearts and their ears from the vain sayings that were uttered aforetime, and
turn with their inmost souls to Him Who is the Day Spring of His Revelation, and
to whatsoever things He hath manifested, such behavior would be regarded as
highly meritorious in the sight of God....
Magnify His Name, and be thou of the thankful. Convey My greetings to My
loved ones, whom God hath singled out for His love, and caused them to achieve
their objects. All glory be to God, the Lord of all worlds. [8]
NOTES
[1] Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing
Trust, 1983), LXXIII, pp. 140-41.
[2] ibid. LXXX, pp. 153-55.
[3] ibid. LXXXI, pp. 155-58.
[4] ibid. LXXXII, pp. 158-63.
[5] ibid. LXXXIII, pp. 164-66.
[6] ibid. LXXXIV, pp. 166-67.
[7] ibid. LXXXV, pp. 167-69.
[8] ibid. LXXXVI, pp. 169-72.
